Partners in Crime
by lulamae-golightly
Summary: A collection of Mulder/Scully drabbles, ranging from cute and fluffy to sad and angry and pretty much anything in between.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Someone (that being me) has been watching way too much X Files lately...this was the result of that. Just a dumb little Scully/Mulder thing set in the early years of the series (could be season one practically)**

**The X Files doesn't belong to me.**

Her peaceful sleep is interrupted by a shrill cry of the telephone. She groans as she pulls herself out of bed, slipping into her robe and making her way to the kitchen. She's annoyed, but it's not like she knew this wasn't coming.

The first time this happened; these wee hours of the morning calls, she sprinted to the phone and answered with a breathless, "yes"? She thought someone had died, and instead she was greeted with her partner in crime's sleepy voice. A streak of annoyance and anger ran through her and she demanded he go to sleep. It happened again, about a month later. This had to be around the sixth time.

She rubs her eyes, a headache coming on as she picks up the phone. "Mmm?" she hums, not even having to say a word.

"Scully," a familiar voice drawls. "Hiiii, Scully."

Alright, something was off. She can nearly smell the alcohol on his breath through the phone. He's called her for every stupid question possible, but he's never called her while he was _drunk._

"Oh, Mulder," she sighs. "What have you gotten yourself into?"

"I was just so tired...so tired, Scully, so I had a beer and then another beer and then another 'cause they help ya sleep, y'know? But I'm not tiiiired. And I started thinkin' of yoooou..." he draws out his vowels and she knows he's smiling like the dumb idiot he is. But for some reason, she can't be mad at him.

"I hope you didn't go out. I hope you didn't drive."

"Uh-uh," he replies. "I've been here aaaaall night. Thinking of Scuuuully...pretty Scuuuully."

She rolls her eyes. "If you think you deserve a thank you-" But she's cut off.

"You are _so_ pretty, y'know that? Sooooo pretty. You just have such pretty hair...and eyes...wow. You have the prettiest eyes in the whole woooorld. And pretty, pretty lips. Uh-huh, pretty lips."

She bites those lips, her ears starting to feel hot. She should be disgusted, she should tell him to go to bed, but he's not hurting anyone, right? _Best just let him talk,_ she thinks. _Maybe it'll make him tired and he'll go to bed._ "Scuuuuully?"**  
**

"Yes?"

"Do you think you're pretty?"

"Um, I don't see why that matters, Mulder."

"Well, I hope you doooo. Y'know why?"

"Because you think I am?"

"Because I think you are the most beeeeautiful girl in the universe. The whole universe. I'm being serious. I wish you were here now so I could hug you. Do you like hugs?"

She shakes her head. "Sure."

"I wanna hug you awful baaaad."

"Well, hug me in your dreams, okay? It's three AM and you need some sleep."

He makes a little noise of displeasure. "Alriiiiight. Night-night Scully...pretty Scully."

"Goodnight, Mulder," and, though she can't believe it, she adds, "Handsome Mulder."

"Heeey, no one's ever called me handsome," he's grinning, she just knows it. "Goodnight..."

"Night," she replies, and hangs up the phone, blushing just a bit. "He's drunk," she mutters to herself. "He's drunk and tired, and you need some sleep." she rubs circles on her forehead, discards the robe on the floor, and crawls back under the sheets. "He doesn't mean anything." she assures herself one final time and falls asleep.

* * *

He shows up to work the next morning looking terribly disoriented. "Hey," he greets her sluggishly.

"Hi," she replies, trying not to smile.

"Did I call you last night? Everything's sorta...foggy."

"Yeah, you did," she chuckles a bit.

He sighs. "Oh, God, sorry. I just drank a little too much and one thing led to the other..."

"It's absolutely fine, Mulder."

"What did I say?"

She squeezes her lips together. "Er, something about me being pretty, that's about it." She watches as he runs his fingers through his hair, laughing nervously.

"Ah..."

"It was sweet, Mulder. You were drunk. It's all fine."

She flips through some paperwork, pretending to be invested when really her ears are on fire again. "It was sweet?"

"It kinda was. You said I had pretty eyes, and lips, and hair...and...well, you said you wanted to hug me, and...you were just babbling on. I had to shut you up."

"Oh," he replies, and leaves it at that for a second.

"I know you didn't mean anything by it. It's not a problem, Mulder. Okay? Let's drop it."

He looks up at her while she's looking down, and he smiles. "No, Scully...I meant it." he reaches out and touches her wrist, fingers brushing her skin just lightly. She looks up and withdrawals, shrinking into her chair.

"Mulder," she begins, but doesn't finish. She pushes her hair behind her ear and returned to the paperwork, but he sees that her ears are red.

**A/N: Thank you for reading!**

**-Lulamae**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So someone requested me make this little story a series of fluffy Scully/Mulder oneshots. I thought about it for awhile and I must say it sounded like a good idea...so here you go. ;)**

Sometimes she envied tall people.

She couldn't help it. When you're a middle aged woman and you're five foot two you get some comments. _It's not as if it's something I can control,_ she would think every time. She was so happy Mulder hadn't made any so far, even after years of working together.. She tried to take advantage of heels, because that was the advice every female gave her, but those pinched her toes and weren't ideal to be walking around in. So today she was wearing flats, which were far more comfortable.

But they weren't always helpful. She was trying to grab a file from Mulder's shelf, jumping and standing on the balls of her feet, but it was still too high. _Why do they make shelves so high anyway?_ she thought. _Do they just not like short people? Asshole shelf-makers._

"Need some help, Scully?" Mulder asked, walking into the room. It was quite the sight, her jumping like a little kid, her brow furrowed with frustration. And it was damn adorable.

"I'm fine," she retorted, out of breath. He strolled over and plucked the file off the shelf with ease, dangling it above his head. She grabbed for it, but still, she couldn't reach it. "Mulder!" she exclaimed. He chuckled, enjoying this. "If you think I'm not determined," she began.

"Oh, Scully," Mulder said, the file still hanging from his fingertips. "I know by now that you're noting by determined."

"But this is just silly. Give me the case file, Mulder."

He leaned forward, pressing his forehead to hers. She was wearing her glasses, those round-wire glasses that were just irresistible to him. Truthfully, _all_ of her was irresistible to him. She continued staring at him relentlessly, her eyes crossed. "What's in it for me, Scully?" he murmured.

"Give me...the goddamn...file," she growled. He leaned in even closer and enveloped her lips with his, handing her the file as he pulled away. She was staring wide-eyed and blushing.

"I'm sorry," he immediately said, feeling a little bad about just kissing her so suddenly.

A smile quirked up Scully's lips. "Thanks," she replied, fingering though the file.

"For what?"

"Figure it out yourself, Mulder." he could swear that he saw her wink as she sat down and examined the papers.

**A/N: This wasn't the greatest but I will be adding onto this story in the future. I love writing these oneshots, they are so fun and easy to write. Thanks for reading!**

**-Lulamae**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I hope everyone who is reading is enjoying so far...if anyone has any requests/ideas let me know!**

**This plot device has been used to _death_ in MSR fic...and I love it. So have another sickfic, you gotta admit you love them too. :)**

As soon as Mulder woke up, he just wanted to crawl into bed again. A real bed, too. Not a couch. He knew he was sick, and not just sniffly-coughy sick. No, this was burning forehead but cold body sick, feeling completely drained of everything sick. It had been so long since he had felt like this, and he had no enthusiasm about suffering though this alone. Until his mind darted to Scully.

It was Saturday, which meant they didn't have work unless they were called in for an emergency case of some sort. So he picked up the phone and dialed her number. Even though his eyes were bleary and blurry, he knew her number by heart now. He could dial it in his sleep.

"Hello?" she answered. He had no idea what time it was, but she didn't sound groggy or sleepy, so he knew he hadn't waken her.

"Scully, what time is it?" Mulder asked hoarsely.

"It's nine in the morning, Mulder...you sound pretty bad, are you alright?"

"No. I feel awful."

"Tell me what's wrong."

"Well my head feels...heavy. And I'm cold, but I'm sweating. And I just feel ache-y all over."

"Do you feel like you have a fever? Have you taken your temperature?"

"I feel like I have one, but I don't own a thermometer..."

"You don't own a thermometer? Jesus, Mulder." she sighed. "But it's not your fault. I'll be on my way in a moment."

He smiled. "You're my hero, Scully."

"I know."

* * *

When Scully showed up at his house she woke him. He had fallen asleep again. "You lie back down, I'm going to gather a few things."

"Gather? What for?"

"You're coming over to my house. A house with a proper bed."

He groaned, and she couldn't tell if it was in approval or disdain, but he was in no condition to argue with her. She grabbed a fresh pair of pajamas for him and helped him off the couch. "C'mon," she slung his arm around her and they walked to her car.

"I really appreciate this, Scully," he babbled.

"Mm-hmm," she replied. They drove in silence to her house. "Have you had anything to eat yet?"

"I didn't think of that..."

"Of course." as soon as they got into her house she began unbuttoning the shirt he had slept in (and sweat-through).

"Why, Agent Scully," he murmured. "Are you trying to undress me?"

She glared up at him. "Only because you need to get into some clean pajamas. God only knows why you sleep in your clothes..." She said every little quip with a hint of affection, and when his shirt was fully unbuttoned she ran her hand across his chest comfortingly. Gently she helped him into a new pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. "Feel any better?"

"Yeah, but I'm starting to feel dizzy," he admitted. She guided him to her bedroom and he slipped into the cool sheets with a sigh. "Ohhh, thank you Scully," he groaned. She chuckled.

"I'm gonna take your temperature and then make some toast for you, okay? Do you want tea?"

"I don't like tea," he whined. "Coffee."

Scully scoffed. "Coffee will do nothing but make your stomach worse, Mulder, and neither of us want you to end up puking today. Tea."

Mulder made another whiney noise but didn't protest otherwise. He sat patiently as she took her temperature, feeling like a little kid. She was dressed in a button-up shirt and loose jeans, her hair pulled back. She wasn't wearing any makeup, which made her freckles stand out even more. She was so pretty, and every time he looked up at her he melted. "God, Mulder, 102.6. I wonder what you caught."

"Is that really bad?"

"I've seen much worse, but it's still pretty high. I'm gonna make some food, just relax."

"Okay, Doctor Scully," he smiled sleepily at her and she returned it, shaking her head.

When she returned with dry toast and tea, he reluctantly took it and nibbled at the bland bread. "I know it's not that exciting," Scully said, sitting on the side of the bed. "But it'll help."

"You're so motherly," he commented after a sip of weak tea. She pursed her lips and he was scared for a moment that he had said the wrong thing.

"I'm just a doctor, Mulder. Also, taking care of someone with a fever is something anyone can do."

"So you've done this millions of times?"

"No, but everyone's good at taking care of their loved ones to some extent. The bond people can have...you just know what's best for them in certain situations. You know."

"Loved ones?" he finished off the toast.

She sighed. "Yes, Mulder, you're a loved one."

"Awwww," he grinned jokingly.

"Don't push it," she retorted softly, taking his tray of food and leaving the room.

* * *

Scully washed the dishes, hearing light snoring from her bedroom. She was so used to being alone all the time. Now Mulder was asleep in her bed and sick as a dog, and despite all those sarcastic comments, she was glad he called her. There was something comforting about taking care of him, seeing him smile up at her. And although she was attracted to him in a romantic way, she really did love him, in a different way than that of romance. She just had such deep, intense love for him, a love that longed to comfort and be with him. Throughout everything, that love had conquered every fight, every struggle.

Mulder awoke a few hours later with a growling stomach and an incredible need to pee. He made his way to the bathroom by himself just fine, but on his way back to bed he tripped and fell with a loud bang. Scully peeked her head into her room, one eyebrow raised. "Mulder?"

"I fell."

"I see that."

"I went to the bathroom, then tried to get back into bed, but I tripped over the legs of my sweatpants."

She laughed out loud and helped him up. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Can I have real food?"

"Soup sound good?"

"Alright," he agreed.

"I prepared for this. I'll be back." she slid out of her room and returned in a matter of seconds with a bowl of soup.

"You're too good to me, Scully." he declared, slurping the soup down quickly. She began peeling off her clothes and changing into her pajamas. "Putting on a show for me?"

"You wish," she replied, buttoning up her silk pajama top. It wasn't quite evening yet, but she felt more comfortable in her pajamas. Once she had taken the empty bowl from him, she joined him in her bed, lying down next to him. "I hope you don't mind this." she was surprised about how at ease she felt about all this.

"Not at all," he sighed deeply as she began to run her fingers through his hair. "Oh, that feels nice, Scully." she rubbed his temples, something she always found comforting when she was sick and someone was taking care of her. "I feel like I could sleep forever."

She settled down next to him, mere centimeters from touching him. The sun was beginning to sink in the sky and an orange tint colored the room. She found herself drifting off, his steady, rythmic breathing finally lulling her to sleep.

* * *

When Mulder woke up again, Scully was still asleep next to him, her head resting on his arm. He smiled down at her; so beautiful and small. She was so tiny, but he knew her and her personality which was not tiny at all. Now, though, she seemed small against him, burrowing a little closer. He wrapped his arms around her, not wanting to leave, even though he was feeling much better, sweaty, and hungry again. But all that didn't matter because Scully, his Scully was sleeping next to him, a faint smile turning the corners of her lips as she nuzzled into his chest.

But the moment was cut short when her eyes fluttered open. She turned red and looked away. "I forgot you were here for a second...I thought I was just holding a pillow..."

"Are you saying I need to work out, Scully?" he asked with a goofy smile.

"N-no...you're just so..warm and nice." she began to shy away, but he looked at her longingly.

"Please, Scully. Stay with me." without hesitation, she settled back down and let him hold her.

"Feeling better? It's midnight," she said, glancing at the clock. It was dark outside now, but both of them were wide awake.

"I feel a lot better. Hungry, though."

"Mmm, me too," she agreed, but it was clear that neither of them wanted to let go of each other. They stayed snuggled up until their other needs became too strong and she wriggled out of his grip. "I'll make some more food if you get in the shower."

"I can do that," he agreed.

"Need any help?"

He gave her another grin. "Well, I might not _need_ any help in the shower, but..."

"Mulder!" she exclaimed. "Are you always like this when you're sick? Ah, nevermind, it doesn't matter. But no more comments like that." She left the room in a huff, and he couldn't help smiling behind her back. Teasing her wasn't very nice, but she always got him back with her sarcastic quips, and in the end they knew they meant nothing but love.

Mulder returned from his quick shower to find Scully making macaroni and cheese in the kitchen, still in her pajamas. It made him feel so giddy inside to know that she was comfortable with him seeing her like this, completely natural, just woken up. He wondered if there would be other times like this, that if maybe one morning they would wake up every morning together. "I hope you like Kraft mac and cheese," she said.

"You own Kraft mac and cheese?" he said, feigning shock.

"What a surprise, huh?" she chuckled. "I was too lazy to make anything else." she scooped some into bowls and handed one to him. "I'll take your temperature again after dinner, okay? You seem a lot better."

"I feel better. Thank you, Scully," he said softly. The food was hot and filling and warmed him up. She took his temperature after they had finished eating, smoothing his hair back as she waited for the thermometer to calculate his body temperature. "I really hope you don't get sick because of me," he said.

"Don't talk with the thermometer in your mouth," she chided. "And we weren't sticking our tongues down each other's throats, so I think I'm fine." it beeped and she studied it. "99.5. Definitely better."

"Not without your help. Where would I be without you, Scully?" Mulder sighed, pulling her into an embrace.

Scully couldn't resist being in his arms, the feel of his head on top of hers, just being close to him. "It's no problem," she murmured. "I always like being with you anyway...okay, maybe that's pushing it." he laughed, and she could feel it in his chest. He planted a kiss on her forehead, making a happy "mmm" sound into her hair.

"I should probably go home now that I'm feeling better," he began, pulling away.

"Nuh-uh. Not til the morning," she said. "You still need some more rest. If you jump right out of bed and wear yourself out as soon as your temperature lowers a little, it's not going to end. Get back in bed."

He grinned. "Are you going to join me?"

"If you're lucky." she retorted. Even though it seemed like they had just woken up, he was tired again and couldn't help thinking about how nice crawling back into bed and closing his eyes would be. He lingered for a moment, waiting for Scully, but she was washing the dishes, so he left her and climbed back into her bed. But just a few minutes later, she was next to him.

"So I got lucky," Mulder said.

"Or maybe I just can't resist you," she let him wrap an arm around her.

"I am a big hit with the ladies." he joked. She chuckled.

"Goodnight, Mulder."

"Goodnight, Scully."

Mulder fell asleep quickly, but Scully stayed awake for a bit longer. She thought of the situation, her and Mulder wrapped up in each other's embrace, the banter they had been throwing at each other throughout the day. Thinking back on it, she realized it had been such a happy day, just the two of them, relaxing for once. The fact that he was so comfortable around her that he let her see her while he was grossly sick made her happy. He made her happy, she realized. He made her angry and annoyed, but usually he just made her smile. She was smiling now as he stirred and cracked his eyes open, withdrawing his arm from her. "You're moving 'round a lot,"

"Sorry, just thinking."

"It's alright. I've put you under enough stress tonight, though, aren't you tired?"

"A little. And you're no stress. I told you, I don't mind it at all."

"You don't have to be here with me, y'know, I can sleep just fine without you," he replied.

"I know, I guess I'm just...worried."

A boyish smirk quirked up his lips and she wanted to smile back. He was so cute. "Worried about what, Scully? I'm gonna roll over and fall to my death in my sleep? I know I'm not the brightest, but that's just mean." She stifled a giggle.

"I wouldn't be surprised, Mulder."

"Meanie," he pouted, then broke into a grin. "Actually, I wouldn't be too surprised myself."

She smiled warmly and placed a hand on his face. "Sleep. You still have dark circles under your eyes." he nodded and turned around on his side as she slipped out of bed, immediately missing the warm feeling she she felt under the covers with him. She tried to read, but she couldn't focus, and she wasn't sure why. She meandered around the house, doing some cleaning that didn't need to be done.

_Will we act like this at work on Monday?_ she thought. They had been so light and flirty together, one could easily mistake them for a couple, which wouldn't be the first time...but still, it was more intense than before, something she wasn't used to. But something she liked. _You're overthinking this... _she told herself, but it did nothing. She found herself with a headache, longing to crawl back into bed with him again. _Don't overthink,_ she thought and slid back under the covers, careful not to wake him, but Mulder was fast asleep.

Just as she was about to drift off, she felt him turn over and wrap his arms around her waist, making a noise that wasn't quite a snore, more of a snuffle, into her neck.

* * *

Mulder left rather promptly after he woke up. In fact, Scully was still asleep when he did. He left a sloppy note: _Scully-thanks so much for taking care of me. I had to go home and do some things. Love, Mulder._

"Why did you leave so quick?" she asked Monday morning as soon as he stepped into the office.

"Hello to you, too. What are you talking about?"

"Sunday morning. Why did you leave so fast?"

"Because I felt better and I didn't have the heart to wake you." he admitted. "You looked so cozy." she chuckled.

"How'd you sleep?"

"Great, I'm feeling a lot better. Did you sleep okay, with me there and all...I've been told I snore."

"You do."

"God, sorry. Did I keep you up?" he leaned back in his chair, smiling a little.

"Nah, I can sleep through anything."

"Was it a loud snore?"

"I promise you, Mulder, it sounded like a chainsaw cutting through wood. You're lucky I'm a heavy sleeper."

But the truth was that gentle noise had comforted her and lulled her to sleep, making her wish she could fall asleep to it every night.

**A/N: Overly long and probably boring and stuff but I'm trying so...thanks for reading anyway.**

**-Lulamae**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thought I'd write a story in Mulder's POV, his thoughts while Scully is gone in season 2 (the abduction arc).**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

The office is quiet. When we work together...when we used to, it was quiet then, too, but not like this. Then it was a gentle quiet, I could hear her typing on her keyboard, the rhythmic typing sound. I could feel us thinking, both deeply engrossed in our work. Sometimes I leaned back and looked at her, those glasses perched on the bridge of her nose, sometimes with her chin in her hand, studying something on her laptop. She is...was, so adorable.

* * *

One time she caught me looking at her. "What do you want?"

"Nothing," I replied.

"Well, then what are you looking at?"

"A pretty redhead." she rolled her eyes.

"Be quiet, Mulder." she kept her eyes on her computer screen, not even looking over to give me a glare like I expected. I chuckled and returned to my work.

* * *

I think of that now, sitting in my office alone. I have things to do, but I don't want to do them. Years ago, before I met her, I did nearly everything alone, and I liked it. But now...she's gone, and I have to do things alone, and I don't like it. Because she's gone.

She's gone, oh God, she's gone and I don't know if I'll ever get her back. I keep telling myself that I will but really I don't know if I will and the chances are so slim. I've had so much faith over the years and I've always had faith in Scully. I've always known she'll make it all turn out alright, because she's Scully. Now, I still have that faith, but it's weaning and that scares me more than I'd like to admit. The fact that I may never see Scully again is too much to bear.

I'm crying now, for the first time since she's left. I've held it in until now and it's become too much and I'm sobbing all over this goddamn paperwork because I just want her back, I want to argue with her and see those beautiful blue eyes and the freckles on her nose, and I want to see her smile and hear her voice. Oh, God.

My tears begin to dry and as I try to compose myself it dawns on me that I love her.

It's been two years now and I guess I should've realized it earlier, but now it's just coming to me, that I really do love her, and not just in a I-wanna-kiss-you-and-maybe-do-some-naughty-things-to-you way (though that may be apart of it. I don't confirm or deny.). No, I really love her, in a I-wanna-snuggle-with-you-and-wake-up-with-you-every-morning way. Did she know that? How much I felt for her?

Wherever she is, and I plan on figuring that out, I hope she knows. Above everything else, I hope she knows. And I hope that maybe just a little, she feels the same way.

**A/N: I'm not used to writing these sort of stories, so forgive me. Also, sorry it's short, I'm tired but I wanted to write something tonight. Thanks for reading!**

**-Lulamae**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: As sort of a follow up to yesterday's chapter, a Scully POV. This takes place in between "One Breath" and "Firewalker", after Scully gets out of the hospital after her abduction and all that.**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

It feels nice to be out of the hospital. Even though it was barely a few days, it felt like weeks in there, with the fluorescent lights and individually-wrapped food. Then I had to take a few days off work, which wasn't _so_ bad. But I woke up this morning nearly excited. Excited to go to work, that's so funny.

When I step into the office, Mulder is sitting at his desk staring into space. "Hi, Mulder," I say. He glances up and his eyes brighten, just a little, but he doesn't say anything and we begin our day.

Today our work consists mostly of paperwork but I see him paging through case files, looking for something new. "How have you been?" I ask after a few moments of sort of uncomfortable silence.

"Alright," he answers. "It's been quiet."

"Why, am I usually loud?"

"No, just...I was all alone for awhile, and it was so weird. I...I missed you, Scully. I missed you a lot. A-and it was so quiet and cold in here...it was lonely, and I'm never lonely. I guess I...I just..."

"Mulder," I stop him, "I'm back. I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere again." I walk over to him and take his hand in mine. His is so callused and rough and warm, and mine looks small as I interlace my fingers with his. "That's a promise."

He looks up at me, smiling sadly. "Your hands are cold."

"Mulder," I begin. "Please believe me. I'll never leave you like that again. Don't you believe me?"

He closes his eyes. "I want to."

"Why can't you?"

"Because I'm not sure what happened and how it happened and if it will happen again...if I knew all that, maybe I could prevent it, but I can't. And so I just have to trust what you say, I guess."

"Please do. I've always trusted you."

He looks surprised. "You do?"

"Well of course I do. I wish you didn't doubt that." I straighten out his collar. "I always will."

Now the smile is becoming a grin and his eyes are less sad. "I trust you, too, Scully." He plays with my cross, and I smile as I remember when he gave it back to me in the hospital; he had kept it all that time.

"Did you know I was gonna come back?"

"I convinced myself I did. I guess I got lucky. Did you know?"

"I don't remember what happened, if anything did. All I remember was waking up in the hospital. I think we should move forward and not think about it too much," I know I've done too much thinking about it in the past few days.

"Okay," he says softly, and I return to my paperwork. It is quiet for nearly half an hour and I wonder why he didn't come visit me while I was stuck at home. Nearly every time I have a sick day he shows up after work with that schoolboy grin on his face. I suppose it would've been hard for him, but I couldn't deny that I longed for him there, just to take comfort in his presence. But now I am here and I can hear him scratching out something on a notepad, I can hear the crack of sunflower seeds and it is so nice to hear again. "Scully?" he says after a few more silent moments.

"Hmm?"

"I never said hi when you came in. Hi."

I laugh for the first time in days. "Hi, Mulder."

A few more minutes of silence. "Scully?"

"Yes?"

"I'm happy you're here."

"Me, too."

And in that moment I know we don't have to dwell on what happened anymore, we can move forward together again.

**A/N: I'm trying not to write these as too mushy. I'm not used to writing POVs and I'm still relatively new to writing MSR. But thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!**

**-Lulamae**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Okay, enough with the POVs for now. Annoyed Scully and the time-old cliche of "we have to share a bed?" ensue here.****  
**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

They were on their way to Washington State for a case. It was a long flight, and they had one layover in Colorado. However, once they got to Colorado, they saw their flight was cancelled, and the next flight they could get was at six in the morning the next day. They decided to take it, but Scully couldn't help being annoyed.

"Hey, it's not like it's a super urgent case," Mulder said, driving the rental car in search of a motel. And he was right, the case had something to do with ghost boys or something-Scully really didn't know, she was tired and irritated. "We'll be there in no time tomorrow."

"I'm sure we will," she replied sarcastically. They pulled into a little motel with a flashing VACANCY sign. It was dingy, but it would do for the night.

"Two singles for the night, please?" Mulder asked, readying his wallet.

"Oh, we only have one single available. Don't you want a room with your wife?" the old lady at the counter said.

Scully rolled her eyes so hard it almost hurt. "No." she replied. "Are you sure they're aren't any other rooms?"

"Nope, just one single."

"We'll take it," Mulder replied.

"Mulder!" Scully hissed.

"Scully, I'm tired, too, and I really don't feel like driving around in the middle of nowhere looking for a hotel, okay?" He paid for the room and they made their way to it.

"Our air-conditioning is broken. We hope that won't be too much trouble," the old lady explained, as if it _weren't_ a hot July night in Colorado. As soon as they opened the door, Scully threw her bags on the floor and stripped off the jacket of her pantsuit.

"Whoa there, Scully," Mulder joked, "Moving a little fast, aren't we?"

"Oh, shut up," she replied, grabbing her pajamas and heading for the shower. He could tell she was obviously annoyed, on a case she thought was a bit stupid, stuck in a hotel with him, forced to share a bed, and all on an eighty-degree night with no air-conditioning. He found it all a little humorous, but he couldn't blame her-she put up with _a lot_ and he was surprised at how calm she was nearly all the time. He had to give her credit.

When she got out of the shower, clad in her silk pajamas. "You can get in," she said.

"Eh, I'll just take one in the morning," he said, flipping through the TV channels. "I took one before we left today."

Scully sighed for what seemed like the millionth time. "Alright. But at least go into the bathroom to change."

"You don't want to admire my manly glory, Scully?"

"Mulder, _please,_" she began.

He chuckled. "I'm really sorry. I know this isn't very fun for you, and to be honest, I'm not really enjoying the whole delay thing either, and I know it's kind of a bother, having to share a bed with me. You've put up with a lot."

She cracked a little smile. "Damn right I have."

"Hey, I'll sleep on the floor tonight, okay?" he said, grabbing his pajamas and meandering to the bathroom. She set up some blankets and a pillow on the floor for him. It was the least she could do after being so snappy. Mulder returned in nothing but sweatpants. It wasn't as if she hadn't seen him shirtless, but she did have to fight to tear her eyes away. _Damn you, _she thought. "Is this for me?" he asked, gesturing to the little bed she had set up for him. She nodded. "What would I do without you, Scully?"

"Not have to sleep on the floor," she replied, settling back to watch something on the history channel. Mulder tried to make himself comfortable on the scratchy carpet. Eventually she turned off the TV and the lights, snuggling under the covers. Mulder tossed and turned, trying to sleep but just feeling more uncomfortable. He flipped over to his stomach, no luck. To his back, then to his side, but the floor was just not a good place to sleep.

And Scully was fighting the heat, tossing off comforters, then feeling too cold in a sheet, already sweating. Eventually she wriggled out of bed and threw off her pajama pants. "Mulder, are you awake?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Come up here with me."

"Why?"

"Because I can tell you're not going to get any sleep down there."

"B-but you're not wearing any pants, Scully," he said, then immediately regretted it. _What a dumb thing to say_, he thought. But to his relief, she chuckled.

"You're not wearing a shirt."

"But it's different..."

"Goddammit, Mulder, it's just my legs. Now get in here." he did, but not before replying with,

"Why, Miss Scully, you're trying to seduce me!"

"In your dreams, Spooky." he smiled. He had never heard anyone call him that in such an affectionate tone. It was usually in a mocking way, but even her sarcastic comments weren't rude. He crawled under the covers and made sure he stayed on the opposite pillow. She turned around and their faces were just inches apart, both of them already dozing off after just a few minutes.

"Hi," he said.

"Hi,"

"So are you still mad about this whole situation?"

"Not really," she yawned. "But maybe I'm just too tired to be mad anymore." She rolled over. "Go to sleep."

So they did.

* * *

When Mulder woke up, Scully was next to him. He was surprised for a moment, then he remembered what had happened. Her head was on his back and her arms were around his waist. He could hear her snoring lightly and he smiled.

Too quickly, she stirred, gasping and pulling her arms back. "Mulder," she began.

"So you like being the big spoon? Should've told me, Scully," he teased, turning around to look at her.

"I-I'm sorry, I don't know how that happened."

"It's fine. It was nice," he said. "Y'know...you can go back to sleep. We still have half an hour 'til we have to get ready and go." she breathed a sigh of relief, laying her head on his chest.

"You're quite comfortable," she said groggily. "Much better than these rock-solid pillows..."

"So you _don't_ like being the big spoon?"

"Be quiet."

"Okay," he agreed, still smiling.

He didn't sleep for the next half hour, instead he stroked Scully's hair and waited for the alarm clock to beep. When it did, she woke up reluctantly and pushed herself off of him. "Okay, I'll get up now," she sighed. "Why don't you shower while I get us some coffee."

When Scully returned with coffee, Mulder was sitting on the bed in nothing but his boxers. "Mulder!"

"What?"

"You're not wearing...anything!"

"So? It's hot, Scully," he pouted.

She rolled her eyes. "I know it is. But you need to get dressed or we'll miss our flight. It's not like I stand around in my underwear."

"You talk as if I would mind that," he retorted, buttoning up his shirt.

"Mulder, not today, please..." she handed him the cup of coffee she had gotten from the coffee shop in the lobby. He took a sip and nearly spit it out.

"Scully, what's in this?"

"I don't know, to be honest. I just asked for a normal cup of coffee. Come on."

When the receptionist asked if they had a nice night, they put on their best fake smiles and said it was wonderful. "I couldn't stand that place," he murmured to her as they got in the car.

"God, I'm glad we got out of there. At least I slept well."

"Me, too. Maybe we should sleep together more often,"

She groaned. "Mulder!"

"You seemed to enjoy it."

She didn't reply, she just glared at him for a few seconds. They drove to the airport in silence and boarded their flight. "Scully, I'm sorry...I know what I said was uncalled for." Mulder said once they got in the air. He felt bad and was tired of silent, angry Scully.

"It's fine," she replied, still grumpy. "It's just...don't you have a filter?"

"Oh, Scully, don't you know that when a boy teases you it means he likes you? And can I help it if I think you're cute when you're mad?" a hint of a blush appeared on her cheeks.

"You know what I absolutely hate about you, Mulder?"

Just then, turbulence hit and Scully gasped, clutching the armrests of her seat. "You don't like turbulence, huh?" she shook her head, a worried look in her eyes. "You're okay," he assured her softly, grabbing her hand. She squeezed it.

"I-I know it's stupid, I just-"

"It's not stupid, Scully." the shaking died down and she relaxed. "See? We're okay. Hey, you never told me what you hate about me."

She looked down at their hands-neither of them had let go-and rubbed her thumb up and down the top of his. "That I just can't stay mad at you for very long."

"Is it my irresistible charms?"

"Oh, shut up," she replied, giving him a smile.

**A/N: Thanks for reading! I am always open to suggestions for chapters, I really need some ideas! **

**-Lulamae**


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: I need ideas for chapters; if anyone has any suggestions PLEASE let me know! This is just a random little chapter I've actually had in the back of my mind for a month or so.**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

"Good morning," the redhead greeted her partner as she walked into the office. He looked up with a grin.

"Good morning!" he exclaimed, unusually cheery. She raised an eyebrow.

"Mulder, how much coffee did you have? Didn't I mention something about decaf the other day?"

He chuckled. "Don't worry, Scully, I've only had one. I just feel like it's going to be a good day. Don't you know what the second of July is?"

"I'm a little afraid to ask," she retorted, rolling up next to him in a chair. "But my guess it has something to do with extraterrestrial beings. Tell me, I'm too curious." She placed her wire-frame glasses on her nose and looked at him.

"Why, it's only World UFO Day," he couldn't get any farther, because Scully had smacked her hand on her forehead.

"Why, pray tell?"

"Because of the Roswell incident! I thought you'd know this, Scully!" Mulder was holding back his chuckles. Sometimes he couldn't help saying things to get a rise out of her, not anything mean or cruel, just teasing.

"And what do we do on this blessed day?" she asked, still rolling her eyes.

"Some have parties, I guess, to watch the sky. I think it's pretty exciting, don't you?"

"To some, I'm sure it is." she shook her head.

"You're not impressed, Scully?"

She shot him a look, knowing now he was trying to get a reaction out of her. "How's that movie quote go? Oh. It's, 'frankly my dear, I don't give a damn'. That's my opinion on it."

He feigned hurt. "You're so mean to me."

They often threw around banter like this, lightly teasing each other and fighting back giggles. It always seemed to lighten the mood and the little smiles they allowed to slip out made them only happier.

"So, are you going to a party tonight?" she asked after a few moments.

"Probably not, to be honest."

"What? Why?"

"Because I don't know of any around and I wouldn't know anyone there."

"I'm sure you'd fit right in."

Mulder chuckled. "Scully, are you calling me a dork?"

"Well..."

"See! You're so mean!"

Scully burst into a fit of giggles. "I'm sorry. I don't think you're a dork," she said, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. He rarely saw her so lighthearted, and he found himself wishing he could see her smile more. He just wanted to see her happy, because she was so often stressed out (which he honestly couldn't blame her for), but when she was grinning and laughing, she was beautiful.

"I dunno, I have some dork-like qualities, I guess."

"Well, I like you, even if you are a dork." she giggled once more and patted his cheek affectionately, getting up to actually get some work done.

* * *

At home later that night, Scully set out some water to boil to make some tea and put some popcorn in the microwave. She was looking forward to relaxing after having such a good day at work. Her and Mulder had gotten along so well and she was nearly sad to leave him. Despite having to work with each other every day, they got into lots of little, petty fights, but the day had none of those. During lunch they had told each other jokes and even the cheesy ones made them laugh so hard their stomach hurt.

Her pleasant thoughts were interrupted when the doorbell rang. To her surprise, Mulder was standing in the doorway. "Hi. Wanna have our own little UFO party?"

"I'm not going to watch the sky with you, Mulder. I wanted to relax tonight."

"No, nothing like that. Hey, do I smell popcorn? I love popcorn."

"Yes..."

"Well, they're showing old movies on the sci-fi channel tonight...I know that's not your thing, but..."

She smiled. "What the hell, it's UFO day. Come on in."

"Those PJ's look good on you," he commented, looking her up and down. She was wearing a silk button up pajama shirt and matching shorts. She blushed a little but was saved when the microwave dinged. Mulder helped her empty it into a big bowl and set up her living room, turning on the TV. She poured herself a cup of tea and joined him on the couch.

The movies were old with bad special effects, but they were fun to chuckle at. Somewhere along the way Scully found Mulder's arm around her waist and she subconsciously laid her head on his shoulder. As it got late, he noticed that her eyelids were beginning to droop. "Sleepy?" he asked.

"Maybe a little," she murmured, nuzzling into his neck. He chuckled.

"I can leave if you want me to."

"No...I like having you here..."

He grinned and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Alright then." he replied, and soon enough they had both fallen asleep together.

**A/N: World UFO Day is an actual thing, by the way. :) Thank you for reading, I'm sorry this was so short and fluffy.**

**-Lulamae**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: There was a fic generator on tumblr, and one of the prompts was about getting a kitten...this is more or less that, I just couldn't resist! Set around season one. **

**By the way, oldmoviewatcher, I'm working on that idea you suggested, it's just coming along a little slow, but it will happen. If anyone has any other ideas, lemme know!**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

Mulder was usually in the office before Scully; he got there earlier than necessary, and Scully liked to pick up coffee for them. The same was true this particular morning, but when she walked into the office she nearly dropped her coffee tray. "Mulder!" she exclaimed, setting down the coffee.

"Hi," he grinned like a schoolboy who had just pulled a prank. Staring up at Scully was tiny gray kitten. It looked up at her with bewilderment for quite awhile, then returned to Mulder, perching itself on a stack of papers on his desk. Scully gave him a long glare.

"Mulder..." she began, but she had no idea what to say next. The kitten was still looking at her with its big, yellow eyes. Mulder reached over to scratch behind its ears. "Mulder, _why?_"

"She showed up in front of my door last night. I asked around, but no one knows who's it is."

"Did you let ASPCA know?"

"Um...I didn't really think of that."

"Well it's not like we can keep it."

"We? Scully, who said she was yours, too? I found her." he joked, gathering the kitten in his arms. "Her name is Rosie." She pawed at his face and he chuckled. Scully stared at him, her mouth agape, wishing it wasn't such a cute scene. "I think she likes me."

"How'd you come up with Rosie?"

"I just like that name. Wanna hold her?"

"I-I...Mulder, you can't keep a _cat._ How did you even get her into the office?"

"I have my ways."

"Mulder! You're going to get in _so_ much trouble for this. Honestly, do you even think things through at all?" she threw up her hands in exasperation. "God, I just don't know about you sometimes..."

It was uncomfortably silent for a few minutes until Rosie decided to jump off Mulder's desk and curl up at Scully's feet, mewing. She gave in and sat cross-legged on the floor, the cat in her lap. "Look, Scully, I...did a stupid thing. I'm sorry. I'll tell ASPCA and get her back to her owners or whatever. I guess I just...I just didn't think it through because she's cute." Now she looked up at him with a little smile.

"Yeah, I guess I can't really blame you, can I..." Rosie was mewing happily as she was being petted, nuzzling into Scully's hand. "She is cute," she giggled as the cat licked her hand with its tiny, scratchy tongue. "So cats...your weakness, Mulder?" her eyes were playful.

"Cute things in general...I mean, I keep you around, so it's a given." her look changed to a slight scowl. "I'm kidding, Scully." He watched her play with the cat for awhile longer, not able to keep the grin off his face.

"So do you think she's a stray? There doesn't seem to be any tag on her..."

"She must be," Scully's face brightened as he walked over and joined her on the floor. "She's so small."

"Are you small?" she asked the kitten in a baby voice. "Are you small, Rosie? Say, 'no, I'm not small'."

There were three in the office that day, and most of the time was spent fawning over one of them.

* * *

When the telephone rang later that night, Scully immediately knew who it was going to be. "Hi," she answered.

"Hi, Scully," Mulder said. "I gave Rosie up. ASPCA took her off my hands, said they'd find her owner."

"Was it hard to do?"

"Yeah, but you were right," he replied. "I couldn't have kept her. It's a wonder I smuggled her in and out of the office."

"Yes, and considering how you freaked out when she peed on your paperwork..."

"Can we not talk about that? I have to turn that in tomorrow."

Scully laughed. "'I'm sorry, Mulder. I know you liked her. I did, too, but...I _was_ right. I mean, I probably couldn't keep a pet, to be honest, I'm just too busy."

"Hey, I've been compared to a puppy before..." they both chuckled.

"Mm, goodnight, Mulder. I'll see you tomorrow." Scully said.

"Goodnight," he replied.

She said a final goodbye and unwillingly hung up. It hadn't even been a year working with him yet, but he found little ways to make her smile every day, and she supposed those overruled the numerous times he made her roll her eyes.

Mulder laid back on the couch, thinking of Scully and secretly longing to hear the mewing sound he had heard the night before.

**A/N: (I know Scully eventually gets Queequeg, but it did confuse me at first how she took care of him since she was out of town so often)**

**ahh I'm sorry for how bad/cheesy/fluffy/dumb this was, I needed to get back into the swing of writing. I'm starting to work on some more serious chapters, please let me know if you have any ideas for me!**

**-Lulamae**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: So oldmoviewatcher gave me this idea and I thought it was super fitting for these two...thank you! **

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

"Mulder," Scully came up to her partner and ran her hand over his tie, a disapproving look in her eyes. He secretly loved it when she'd straighten his collar or run her hand through his hair, or briefly touch his cheek when he was extra tired. Her touch was usually so soothing and he never got enough of it, but now she was just looking at him like he had made a very bad choice.

"What did I do, Scully?"

"Where'd you get this tie?"

"Um...honestly, I can't remember. Probably a thrift store."

She sighed. "It's ugly."

"What? It doesn't compliment my eyes or whatever it is women like?"

"Mulder, neon green with brown checks...what made you think that was a good idea?"

"Scully, I can't believe you're criticizing me on my fashion choices, I thought you'd look at more than just the outside. I think I look ravishing," he joked, chuckling for a moment. She only rolled her eyes.

"I do look at more than just the outside, and I know that you're wonderful no matter what you wear, but these colors just bother me...I suppose it could work, if you had brown pants instead of khaki...and with a white shirt instead of blue..." she shook her head and stepped away. "Never mind. It's just been bothering me."

"Scully, if you don't like my clothes, why don't you shop for me?" he said, still joking, but she glanced at him with an equally playful look in her eyes.

"Why don't we go shopping together?"

Mulder hesitated. "Ha ha, sure. That'll be the day..."

"No, Mulder. Let's do it sometime. I've gone over to your place several times for movie marathons and whatnot."

"You enjoyed those!"

"And who's to say you won't enjoy shopping with me? I'm not joking, Mulder, why don't we? This weekend." Scully was still smirking, but she seemed genuine.

"Alright, Scully, I guess I could, but promise not to torture me too much?"

She laughed. "You really think I'd torture you, Mulder? It'll be fun."

"I'm suspicious, Scully..."

She peered at him over her glasses. "Bright and early Saturday morning, Mulder, I'll pick you up..."

* * *

Scully didn't say anything more of their little shopping spree plans for the rest of the week, so Mulder hopped she forgot about them. He loved every moment he spent with her, but shopping was never something he had liked.

But despite his hopes, a tiny redhead stood in the doorway of his apartment at ten in the morning that Saturday, a smug little smile on her lips. He was still half-asleep. "Come on, Mulder," she sing-songed. She looked much more casual than he was used to seeing her.

"You're the worst, Scully," he yawned, buttoning the last button on his shirt.

"I do it out of love," she joked.

"You do it because you think it's funny to see me suffer."

"Oh, get _over _it, Mulder." she replied as they got in the car. "We'll just go to that big mall downtown, okay? I'll buy you lunch, too."

"Bribing me, now? Scully, it is too early for this."

"When is _not_ early in Mulder-time?"

"Hmmm...maybe noon?"

Scully gave him a look and he chuckled. "I get up earlier than that," he assured her.

"Sure you do. You know, even I sleep in sometimes. One time I was just so comfy in my bed I didn't get up until almost twelve." He smirked.

"I knew you were like the rest of us."

When they arrived at the mall, the first store they stepped into was a men's department store, where the saleswoman asked if they needed any help. "No, thank you, we're just looking," Scully said, but the woman ignored her and shot Mulder a flirty look.

"Are you, sure, sir?" The woman was pretty, brunette, leggy. Scully had to fight not to sigh.

"I-I'm sure." Mulder replied. The woman, Charlene according to her name tag, nodded and turned away. He chuckled at Scully's annoyed look. "Don't worry," he assured her. "Not my type. Now what are we looking for? Ties?"

Scully held up a moss-green tie. "What do you think of this?"

"It's okay," he shrugged. She held it up to his shirt. "Do you like it?"

"I do like it," she replied, hanging it around his neck. He looked down and realized she was standing on her tiptoes to get at almost eye-level with him. "It's a good color for you...it compliments your eyes." He caught her gaze, which lingered for a moment longer than normal until she pursed her lips and looked away.

"How much does it cost?"

"Twenty seven dollars."

Mulder's eyes widened in shock. "Twenty seven dollars? For a piece of fabric I'm required to wear to look professional?" he asked, a little too loudly. A few workers gave him looks and he mouthed, 'sorry'.

"Don't you see why I don't like shopping?" he said. Scully ignored the comment and held up a maroon tie and a black jacket. "How much is the jacket?"

"One hundred and fifty dollars," Mulder groaned. "I know, I know. But this is my little gift to you, so don't worry about the prices." Scully said.

They left with the moss green tie, a navy blue jacket and a light blue striped tie to match. They stopped at a few other stores, but didn't find much, so they sat down in the food court with lunch.

"Thank you, Scully," Mulder said, his mouth full. She winced slightly.

"You're very welcome. Did you have a good time?"

"It wasn't so bad, but the prices...I know you told me not to worry, but you didn't need to spend so much money on me, really."

"It's really no problem." she replied.

Next thing she knew, he looked up at her with an "idea" look in his eyes. "Scully," he began. "I wanna get you something."

She shook her head. "No, Mulder-"

"Yes, please? Pleeeease?"

"Why?"

"Because you've gotten me something...I'm just trying to be nice, Scullyyyyy."

"Don't use that whiny tone with me. I suppose we could stop at a few more stores."

Mulder broke into a grin and proceeded to eat the rest of his lunch in a rush, prodding Scully to do the same. She gave him a few sighs but followed him itno a women's department store, where there was luckily no flirty saleswomen. He ignored the more formal clothes and went for the casual attire, rifling through some sweaters. Scully was glad, she needed a few more sweaters. He held up a red sweater and she shook her head.

"Why? It's pretty."

"I don't wear much red."

Mulder looked at her, confused. "Is it red?"

She gave him the same confused look until she remembered his colorblindness. "Mulder," she began softly, "What color is my hair?"

"I know it's red, because just before I met you I read your file. And the guys always talk about how pretty it is...among other things..."

"I've been asked more than once about that, Mulder,"

"About what?"

She imitated a man's voice as she said, "'Does the carpet match the drapes?' People have been asking me that since _high school_."

"Well, does-"

"Stop there."

"Okay." he smiled sheepishly.

"What color does my hair look to you, though?" she questioned. "I'm curious."

"Brown. But everything else about you is pretty normal, I guess." he held up a light blue sweater that matched the color of the tie she had bought him earlier. "Do you think this would compliment your eyes? I'm not good at this stuff..." looking closer she saw the sweater had floral embroidery around the collar.

"Ehh...I like it, but..."

"But what? I like it, too."

"Do you really think it would look okay?"

"Trust me," he checked the price tag, made a slight face that she noticed but didn't say anything about. "I'm getting it for you."

"Alright," she gave him a look, and he promptly led her to another section. They left with the sweater and a pair of slacks. "I'm sorry it cost so much money," she said as they walked to the car. "Women's clothing prices are really awful."

"Anything for you, Scully."

* * *

When she came back to work on Monday, Mulder was fiddling with his moss green tie, working on tying it. "Need some help?" she asked.

"Uhh," he replied, but she began tying it for him anyway. "Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked.

"My uncle showed me when I was a teenager, said it would help me later in life," she smirked. "Well, he was right." she finished tying the tie and straightened his collar. "You look very nice." she planted a friendly kiss on the cheek and went about her job.

"Scully," Mulder said. "You should greet me like that every morning."

"Don't count on it," she replied.

* * *

That weekend he came over to her house for dinner. She was wearing the blue sweater. "Did you wear that just because I was coming over?"

"No, actually, it's very comfortable and I've been wearing it a lot recently." He simply smiled at her in response, because her eyes were _so_ blue and beautiful that he wasn't sure he could think of the right words to for them. He must've got something right this time.

**A/N: Sorry if it's not what you really had in mind! I've been having some bad writer's block on top of some mental health stuff bothering me, but writing is a good outlet for emotion and whatnot, so like I said, I'm trying to get back into the swing of things. Thanks for the idea!**

**I've been working on more serious chapters lately...those will hopefully be coming this way soon. Please let me know of any other ideas you guys have.**

**-Lulamae**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I'm not even sure what I was going for here. **

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

Scully was usually good about thinking before she spoke. It wasn't as if she hadn't been short with her co-worker before, and he had been just the same to her multiple times. They always accepted each other's apologies—he was particularly sweet about it, and she appreciated that quite a lot. But this fight was rather heated, and she didn't know why and if she would forgive herself for yelling, "I just can't _stand_ you, Mulder!"

Once that exclamation had left her lips she paused, avoiding eye contact with him as she began to gather her belongings. It was past five and she was more than ready to leave. "I-I will see you tomorrow," she murmured, opening the door.

"Scully," Mulder began.

"Let's just...not." she slammed the door behind her and speed-walked to her car, not wanting him to follow her. He didn't. But the pit in her stomach was undeniable, and as she drove home she felt like she was going to be sick.

Her and her partner had been arguing about flight arrangements, which turned into an argument on Mulder's responsibility. He claimed he didn't need her marching around telling him what he was and what he needed, and she claimed he needed to be more organized. This led into shouting about how _he _was so defensive and how no, _she_ was making something out of nothing and it finally led to him yelling, "God, Scully, just because you're on your period doesn't mean you can be like this." And that led to her declaration of not being able to stand him.

It was the meanest thing she had said to him—oh sure, she had called him an "asshole" in jest a few times, never really seriously, and sometimes he called her a "brat", but that too was always in jest. It was sort of affectionate, those words they tossed around, because deep down they knew they loved each other, though they wouldn't admit it. But there was no love in the words they had exchanged, just bitterness and just pure malice. _And I'm not even on my period,_ she thought, first somewhat jokingly, then she began to feel bad. _Oh, God, does that mean I'm rude and bitchy all the time? Have I just been like this the whole time and no one's told me? Why haven't I realized this?_

She made herself dinner once she got home, but nothing tasted good. She found herself with that pit still in her stomach along with a lump in her throat and a sad panging in her chest. She threw her leftovers in the fridge and took a long, hot shower. When she returned, there was a message on her machine.

"Scully," Mulder's voice said. "Please. Talk to me."

The message had been left only fifteen minutes ago, so she reluctantly dialed his number and snuggled up on the couch. He answered the phone with "Scully?"

"What would you have said if I was Skinner, Mulder?"

"He wouldn't be surprised."

"Mulder...I think I need to go first here."

"Okay."

"I'm sorry. I agree that I had no reason to act the way I did. I do admit that I don't agree with you on certain topics and I didn't like the way you were just dropping everything to go do a case that really doesn't matter, but who am I to talk, really-"

"No, Scully, don't say that."

"Okay, sure. Fine. Whatever. Anyway-"

"There's that again."

"What?"

"That 'sure. Fine. Whatver'. That thing."

She chuckled. "I didn't realize I said it so often. Anyway, I did say quite a few stupid things and I really didn't mean a lot of them, like me saying that I couldn't stand you. I didn't mean that, it was said purely because of the anger I was feeling in that moment. I'm sorry, Mulder."

"I said a few dumb things, too. I'm sorry for asking if you were on your period. I sounded like a stupid teenager. You deserve so much more respect, Scully."

"We both said some stupid things, nothing's new. I just took it to another level and said something too personal. But it wasn't true. I think we can move past it now." Scully said, trying not to sigh in relief.

"I-it just...it really hurt me to hear you say that about me...to say that you couldn't stand me, and I know you didn't mean it now, but I was so worried that you actually did."

Now she sighed. "Oh, Mulder. I could never mean that."

"Good, because I could never feel that way about you either. I don't think you're bitchy or rude or anything like that." he sounded so sleepy, but still genuine.

"Are you tired? You sound so tired."

"I am," he admitted. "For once."

"Get some rest, okay?"

"I'll try."

She hung up and felt glad that he had forgiven her, as always. _Maybe he's too good for me, _she thought. She was about to head to bed when the phone rang again. "Hello?" she answered it, suspicious.

"Scully, you know I love you, right?" it was Mulder again.

"I-I suppose I do, Mulder, but it's nice to know."

"Good. Because I do."

"Well...thank you. I love you, too."

"Thank you, Scully. Goodnight."

"Goodnight. Get some sleep."

**A/N: I was going to write some sappy conclusion to this chapter but I think it can just end here. These two and their relationship dynamic is interesting in the fact that it is built on trust, but they have such differing beliefs. They have loved each other from the beginning, perhaps not in the romantic sense. They've just had such a strong connection that eventually developed into romantic love, and to me it always just seemed like they never acknowledged their deep, personal connection. So I wrote this boring little chapter because I wanted to kind of explore some of the side-effects of their differing beliefs—the arguments and whatnot, and also a little acknowledgment of that connection they've always had. I'm sorry this was probably boring, and I have no idea how to word things and blaaaaah. Thanks for reading.**

**I'm still accepting requests, by the way.**

**-Lulamae **


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: This was another suggested idea...forgive me, it is a bit fluffy but what can ya do...**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

"Scully," Mulder pointed to a pair of twin doors that led to a swimming pool. "This hotel has a pool." They had just arrived in a hotel in Maine, and it was one of the nicer ones they had stayed at. The sun was beginning to set; they had spent all day on their case and they still had a few days of work ahead of them.

"That's very nice," she replied absentmindedly.

"Wanna go swimming?" he asked as they stepped in the elevator. She raised an eyebrow.

"Not particularly, do you?"

"Yeah, sounds fun."

"Mulder, I doubt you brought any sort of swimwear," she responded,

"I didn't but I saw they had some in the gift shop. Please, Scully? Go swimming with me?"

She rolled her eyes. "No, Mulder."

"Fine, I'll find some other pretty girl to go with then." he retorted.

"If you think I'd be jealous, you're thinking wrong."

Mulder smirked. "I can name a few times you were jealous of other women I've associated with. Bambi, Phoebe..."

"That wasn't jealousy," she lied. "That was annoyance because of wasted time spent fawning over a female."

"A female that wasn't you," he teased as they strolled down the hall to their rooms.

"I don't...Mulder, I'm not that shallow." she stopped and crossed her arms, staring at him defiantly. "I just don't like wasting time, especially on things that aren't important. That's all."

"That's all," he repeated, that annoying smug smirk still on his lips. "I'm still going swimming."

* * *

To his delight, she followed him to the gift shop to buy some swimming trunks. "Scully, look, they have suits for women, too..." The suits they had consisted of skimpy string bikinis that cost too much and boring one pieces that also cost too much.

"I don't swim, Mulder."

"You're no fun."

A white swimsuit caught her eye as he went to the cashier to buy his swim shorts. _What the hell,_ she thought and walked up to the cashier herself. "Hey, what's this?" Mulder asked.

"I...I didn't own any swimsuits and I thought I'd buy one."

"Well, now you're obligated to go swimming with me, aren't you?"

She just glared and paid for her suit, walking off to the pool herself. He smiled and followed her lead.

* * *

Scully dipped her toe into the cool pool water. No one else was there besides her and her partner, who had already jumped in and was swimming around. "C'mon, Scully," he called, his voice echoing. She sat down on the floor and submersed her legs in the water, not wanting to go in.

She didn't know how to swim. She had jumped in a few lakes with her brother when she was a child, but she always scrambled out, shivering and cackling. The pool water went up to six feet and five inches; she was barely over five feet, and Mulder was floating along with ease, still calling for her to come on in. She could see him studying her in the swimsuit, but she'd been letting her eyes explore his bare chest from afar, so she can't really talk.

"Scully, why don't you just jump in? It's not even cold!"

"Mulder...I can't swim."

He looked surprised. "Really? You're kidding!"

"I just never learned."

"Well, it's not that hard. Come in, I'll teach you." He seized her legs and pulled her into the pool. She screamed, but he kept her in his arms, not fully submerging her in the water. She instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist and clung to him, trembling. He was chuckling against her hair, holding her close.

"It's cold!" she whined as he began to loosen his grip on her. Her legs kicked wildly and she held onto him tighter in defiance. "And too deep!"

"Scully, it's five foot five. I'm going to let go, you just tread water." he slowly let go and she did what he instructed her to do, feeling like a little kid. She started giggling just from the sheer silliness of it all.

"I'm a middle-aged woman and I don't know how to swim," she said, treading to a shallower spot. "Isn't that dumb?"

"Lots of people don't know how to swim," he replied. "You're doing just fine. Come into the deep end." She hesitantly swam up to nearly the six foot mark, which she quickly regretted. She hung on to the side of the pool and refused to budge.

"This was a bad idea," she grumbled. Mulder scooped her up in his arms again and grinned.

"Hmm, I like this," he declared. "Now, Scully, riddle me this. If, say, I met a great woman and I was teaching _her_ to swim in this very pool, would you consider it a waste of time? Is this a waste of time?"

"Mulder..." she sighed. "All I'm saying is that fawning over women that don't help us any..."

"But what if I'm fawning over you?"

"Are you saying I don't help you?"

"No, no, Scully, you help me more than you'll ever know. But the time I spend fawning over you, that's not a waste of time, is it?'

"Well, if it was on the job..._do_ you fawn over me?"

"Doesn't everyone?"

"No," she replied simply, still waiting for Mulder's answer.

He brushed a few stray pieces of hair away from her face. "In the end, Scully, you know I only have eyes for you." She blushed and looked away.

A large family with four children barged into the pool and the two sons immediately jumped in, splashing water. "Oh, get a damn room!" the mother yelled at Mulder and Scully. They were confused at first, but then she realized how comprising the situation looked with her legs around his waist and her holding her in his arms. She scrambled out of his grip and paddled away, looking frazzled.

"You should know better than to sex your husband in public pools," the mother continued as she got out of the pool.

"We weren't 'sexing'," the redhead replied calmly. "Frankly, I think you should mind your business."

"Keep it away from my children," the woman spat in return, then turned away. Scully wasn't sure what exactly 'it' was, but she wasn't going to ask.

* * *

They made their way to the elevator, chuckling about what happened. "What exactly did that lady say to you?" Mulder asked.

"That I should know better than to 'sex my husband' in public pools," she shook her head. "To keep it away from her kids."

"Pool sex doesn't even sound fun," he contemplated, and she was glad they were the only ones in that elevator. "Shower sex, though..."

"Oh my God, Mulder, are you twelve?" she asked as the elevator dinged and they walked to their rooms.

"What? Doesn't it sound exhilarating?"

"Hush," she replied, opening the door to her room. "Get some rest, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Hey, can I actually teach you to swim tomorrow?" he said through the door.

"Don't push it." she replied. "Go to bed."

"No shower sex, either?"

"_Jesus Christ, __Mulder!"_

**A/N: This turned out a lot weirder than I anticipated, definitely not the best but I'm still getting back into writing after my brief block and that's really hard for me for some reason...let me know if you have any ideas.**

**-Lulamae**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Thank you all for your reviews, I feel like I should let you guys know how encouraging and sweet you have been.**

**This was another idea someone sent me, it might be kind of silly but I think it's a good silly and something that fits them. Basically it's set after they become an established couple, there's no specific spot.**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

"Hey, Sculls!" Mulder's voice called from the living room. She was in the kitchen cleaning after dinner. They were both happy it was Friday night and they could go home and spend a weekend relaxing together. God knew their work was nowhere near low-maintenance.

"Don't call me that," Scully sing-songed. "What do you want?"

"What're all these video tapes? They've got 'Dana' and all these dates labeled on them."

She joined him in the living room. "Oh, those are just old home movies that my mom wanted me to take with me. I don't really know why. They're mostly me and my sister."

"Ooh, shall we pop one in and coo over baby-Scully?" he had a playful look in his eyes, and she wished he wasn't so damn cute. "C'mon, it'll be funny."

"It'll be embarrassing," she retorted, but he was already putting a tape in the VCR. It was labeled 'Dana-Dance Show-1970'. The screen flickered and the video started out with a close up of a little girl with freckles dusting her face and the same fiery red hair.

"Oh, God," she sighed. "My mom signed me up for this dance thing when I was six, this must be the recital." The little girls in the video did little girl versions of ballet moves in yellow leotards and pink tutus, each of them having their own little dance solo where they would jump or twirl or pirouette. When it came to seven year old Dana's turn, she twirled across the stage and did a little jump. Mulder sighed.

"You're adorable," he gave her a kiss on the cheek. She was peeking at the video through her fingers, her face bright red.

"Why'd you feel the need to bring these out?"

"There was a big box of them under the TV and I got curious."

"I don't have a porn stash like you, Mulder," she replied.

"Oh, you know I don't watch those much anymore," he teased. The little routine ended as the girls onscreen curtsied clumsily, a few of them grinning and beaming with that childlike pride. Dana was one of them and the clunky camera zoomed in on her smile once more as the video ended. "You were the cutest little kid ever," he concluded. "And you're still cute." she couldn't help blushing as he planted another kiss on her temple, then rifled through the box again.

"No more, Mulder," Scully whined.

"Just one more." he pleaded, pulling out one labeled 'Dana and Melissa-1971'. He hesistated for a moment, he didn't want her to have to feel the pain of the loss of her sister again, even though it was several years ago. "Uh," he began.

"Just play it, Mulder. It doesn't matter who else is in it, it's bound to be humiliating." he put the VHS in the player.

"Oh would you stop that? You are adorable, Scully," he reaffirmed. In this video, Melissa and Dana were babbling on about something in school, and their mother behind the camera was acting very impressed and asking questions, as if interviewing them. Dana was in overalls and Melissa in a yellow dress. After a few minutes they began to fight and shout about _something_-Mulder hadn't been really paying attention to what they were talking about.

"Well, I'm prettier than you!" little Melissa yelled. On-screen Dana looked shocked for a second, and even though their mother was reprimanding her, she threw a punch at Melissa anyway. Then their mom really started yelling and the video ended.

"God, why did she keep that?" Scully asked, her words muffled by her hands on her face. Mulder was cracking up.

"You throw a pretty good punch," he teased.

"My sister had a black eye for the next week, I'm not kidding you."

That just made Mulder laugh more. "Good job," he pulled her close and she snuggled into his embrace. "You think Melissa remembers that?" Scully simply chuckled into his chest.

"Why'd you wanna watch my old home videos anyway?"

"Oh please, you can't expect the love of my life's childhood to be sitting in front of me and for me to not want to take a look." she sighed and kissed his lips gently. "I do have to ask, though. Why did you punch your sister because she said she was prettier than you?"

"I was seven. And I was always kind of jealous of Melissa because all the boys liked her and she _was_ the 'pretty' sister. Dumb stuff, I'm over it now. Obviously."

"I think you're beautiful."

"I think you're a cheeseball."

"I love you."

Every time he told her that, she turned into a puddle of blushes and smiles. "I love you, too, honey lamb." she pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"Can we make an agreement for you to never call me honey lamb again?"

"I was trying to be endearing," she pouted.

He laughed, getting off the couch. "I'm going to bed. Come with me?"

"Sure," she said, taking his hand. They kissed and walked hand-in-hand to their bedroom.

He went into the bathroom to brush his teeth as she waited for him. She heard him call, "Scully? Can I call you babycakes?"

"No."

"What about sugarpie?"

"But you can call me honey lamb?"

"That was a joke."

"Okay, sweet pea."

"I can still throw those punches!"

**A/N: I don't know why I included the nickname bickering in the end it just kind of fit...I hope this was okay. I'll be wrapping this up soon (I'm thinking of stopping at 15 or 20 chapters) and I'm glad you all enjoyed it; or if you didn't enjoy it at least you read it. Please send in any more ideas!**

**-Lulamae**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Well, someone requested anything with their kids, here you go :) Just a night together as a family. I apologize if it's OOC, I'm really bad at writing family fics.**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

Mulder sang softly to a baby who sat on his chest, supported by his hands. She was only nine months old, but she was beautiful, all wide brown eyes and bubbling smiles.

Scully decided to adopt a child, this one especially because when she saw her there was something about her that struck her, holding onto her heart and not letting it go. She talked it over with Mulder, practically begging him to let her; she knew that the emptiness of William being gone would never truly disappear, but perhaps this child could be theirs-could fill the emptiness, someone that needed love, love that they could give her. Her mother was young and couldn't support her, so one day, when all the paperwork was filled out and she was confident about it, she adopted a little girl, barely a week old. Scully cried tears of joy when she first held the girl in her arms, and just seeing how beautifully happy she was, Mulder cried too.

The girl was named Emily, in remembrance of Emily Sim. She had been fussy all night because of teething, drool glistening on her chin. Mulder couldn't sleep, so he let Scully go to bed while he rocked and sang to the baby. She chewed on her fingers and made little noises, despite Mulder hushing her.

"See the pretty girl in the bed next to us?" he whispered. "Well, you probably know she's your mommy, and she's tired. She wants to sleep. So let's be really quiet, okay?"

The baby responded with an even louder babble. Scully made a little noise and turned over to face them. "She doing okay?" she asked.

"Did we wake you up? I'm sorry," Mulder replied.

"Mm, I'm fine," she snuggled up to him and smiled at her daughter. "How're you, sweetie?" Emily gnawed on her fingers some more. "Okay, you can do that." Scully said. She kissed Mulder's cheek. "And how's Emily's daddy?"_  
_

"I'm good," he replied with a soft smile.

"Are you tired, too? I can take her..."

"Nah, I'm fine. You just go back to sleep, you've got work tomorrow."

She groaned, "Oh, don't remind me. I just wanna stay in bed with you two all day."

"Me, too," Mulder agreed, leaning in for a kiss. The baby giggled when their lips met, and Scully broke it off and laughed too. "Silly girl," she sighed, taking the baby in her arms. "Oh, you're getting heavy," she joked. "I just don't know what I'm going to do with you." she kissed at the baby's cheeks for awhile, then just held her to her chest.

"How come you can get her to relax, but I can't?" he asked, pouting.

"Maybe it's a mommy thing," she teased. "You think I can put her in the crib without disturbing her?"

"Nonono, lemme do it. You stay right here, honey," he kissed the side of her mouth and took Emily, placing her in her crib. She smiled. He only called her 'honey' in these affectionate moments, in the late hours of the night where they were both sleepy and feeling especially in love. At first the idea of anyone calling her 'honey' borderline nauseated her, now she loved the warm way he said it, the way it made her blush.

"I think she's going to sleep," Mulder murmured, crawling back into bed. "Finally."

"Oh, good. Thank you for staying up with her." Scully closed her eyes.

"You need to sleep, too." he said. "Roll over, I'll give you a backrub."

She sighed and rolled over. "Oh, God, thank you, Mulder," she breathed as he began to massage the tired muscles of her back. "But you need rest, too."

"I'll get some, don't worry about me." he continued the rest of her backrub in silence and she melted into him when he wraps her up in his arms.

"I'm always gonna worry about you, end of story. I'm supposed to be worrisome, I'm a mommy now." she replied. "Goodnight, Mulder."

"Goodnight, Scully."

It wasn't too long before her breathing became steady and she was clearly asleep. He was starting to feel pretty tired himself. He spent his days with the baby and his nights with her mother, and he was really starting to feel happy again. Nothing was perfect, nothing would ever be perfect, and he grew to accept that. It was difficult; knowing that things would never be the same, but they had settled into something he never could've dreamed up years ago. Something more wonderful than he could think up. And that was amazing. Not perfect. But that didn't really matter.

He was just about to finally drift off when the baby began to fuss again. All he could do was groan.

**A/N: Forgive the gooeyness! Also, I'm not sure if Mulder and Scully would actually be able to adopt a child, having gone into hiding and stuff, but in IWTB she works at the hospital under her real name...idk, maybe I got it messed up. I wrote this in the wee hours of the morning when I just couldn't sleep, so if it's extra sappy or bad, I guess you could blame it on that. Keep sending in requests!**

**-Lulamae**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This may be the chapter that wraps it all up unless I get some more interesting ideas; I've had lots of fun writing this. I will be writing more X Files fic in the future if the inspiration strikes (and I accept ideas any time, for any fandom I write...so what are you guys waiting for? :)). Thank you all for reading! Enjoy the fluff-fest! (No really, this may be one of the fluffiest things I've ever written. Not a lot of plot here, I must admit...)**

**I guess this is set around IWTB, could be before or after.**

**X Files doesn't belong to me.**

Scully came home from her job at the hospital, a headache beginning to surface. She had a love-hate relationship with her job; she enjoyed getting to take care of people and putting her years of med school to use, but it was a stressful job with long days. She couldn't deny she was looking forward to her welcome-home kiss from Mulder.

She found him washing dishes, the radio blaring some old pop hits. She wanted to tell him to turn it off, but didn't have the heart. He looked like he was enjoying himself, singing along. When she walked in the door, he instantly took her in his arms and kissed her lips. "Hey," he murmured. She laughed.

"Hi. Are you just doing the dishes from breakfast this morning?"

"Better late than never, Scully."

She chuckled and wriggled out of his grip, going upstairs to change. Her headache seemed to dissolve. It amazed her, how happy he could make her even after all these years. She never believed the whole 'soulmate' thing; it was trite to her. But from the very beginning Mulder had stirred something deep within her that she couldn't deny. After going through so much, just the fact they were together at last made her happy.

When she came back downstairs, clad in her pajamas, Mulder was drying the dishes. She took his towel from him with a smirk and demanded she dry the dishes. The commericals on the radio ended and a familiar tune began to play. Scully bit her lip trying to remember what it was, but when the lyrics started, Mulder grabbed her waist and pulled her into his arms once more. "It's our song," he murmured against her ear.

"Walking in Memphis" was blaring in their kitchen. They hadn't heard that song since the concert they went to many years ago, but the memory brought grins that could split their faces in two. "You remember?" he asked.

"I couldn't forget," she replied.

"I wish I'd kissed you then. I wanted to."

"Kiss me now and make up for it," he dipped her dramatically and pressed his lips firmly to hers, pulling her back up and spinning her around. She cackled.

"You're gonna make me dizzy, Mulder!"

They swayed in each other's arms until the last note of the song. "Have I still got it?" Mulder asked.

"Always," she smiled. "You know, I really needed something like that tonight. Just to be with you."

"I could tell. You've been so stressed lately."

"I know I've been...snappy," she admitted. "But sometimes you deserve it!"

He laughed. "I know, I know. I'm an idiot."

"Hey!" she exclaimed. "You're not an idiot...well, if you are, you're my idiot."

"That's okay. As long as I'm yours." he grinned (she was happy he was smiling so much tonight; there hadn't been much of it lately.) and kissed her forehead.

"That's nice to hear."

"What, that I'm an idiot?"

Scully bit back a giggle. "No. That you're mine. Because I'm yours."

"It works out well, doesn't it?" Mulder asked.

"Perfect." she stood on her tiptoes and kissed him, so happy.

"_Maybe soulmates_

_Are just two ordinary people_

_Who are too stubborn_

_To let the world pull them apart."_

**A/N: I wasn't lying when I said it was fluffy. Sorry if you're dying of sugar overdose. I had to include that quote at the end, too, it just seemed to fit. **

**Thank you all for reading and sticking with me and reviewing, you guys are amazing.**

**-Lulamae**


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